Reminder-dispenser device



1957 R. FINKELSTON, JR, ET AL 9 3 REMINDER-DI SPENSER DEVI GE Filed April 13, 1965 I NVENTORS' RAYMOND Fl NIKELSTON JR.

MAURICE D. HARTMAN JR.

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent U vauia Filed Apr. 13, 1965. Ser. No. 447,838 2 Claims. (Cl. 2d6-42) This invention relates generally to the art of packaging, and is especially concerned with a package for reminding the user and dispensing articles in accordance with the reminder.

While the package construction of the present invention has been primarily developed and employed for use with pharmaceuticals, and will be described hereinafter with particular reference thereto, it is appreciated that the device is capable of many varied applications, all of which are intended to be comprehended herein,

As is well known, the consumption of pharmaceuticals is usually in a prescribed time sequence, as by hours, days, or otherwise. In addition, there is sometimes required a particular sequential order of consumption of different pills.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a package of pills, or the like, wherein theuser is reminded of each time for the taking of a pill, and wherein the proper pill is dispensed for consumption at the proper time.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a reminder-dispenser device for pills and the like having the advantageous characteristics mentioned in the preceding paragraph, which is extremely simple in construction, durable and reliable in operation and use, requiring a minimum of space for convenient handling, and which can be economically produced for sale at a reasonable price.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope will be indicated by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view showing the package of the present invention, partially broken away to conserve drawing space;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded sectional view taken generally along the line 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a partial rear elevational view taken generally along the line 44 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the several components of the instant package; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken generally along the line 6-6 of FIGURE 4.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the remindendispenser package of the present invention is there generally designated 10 in FIGURE 1 and includes a generally fiat medial part 11 having a pair of foldable flaps 12 and 13 hingedly connected, as by respective folds 14 and 15 for swinging movement into and out of overlying relation with the main, medial part 11.

The main part 11 includes a pair of generally congruent, facing front and back walls 17 and lil. The front and back walls 17 and 18 may be of generally rectangularoutline configuration and may each be provided with a corner cutout or notch, as at 19 and 20, respectively.

3,30%? Patented Feb. 7, 1967 The front wall 17 may be provided with a central, generally circular thru opening or cutout 21, and further provided with a relatively small thru opening or window 22 at a location adjacent to and spaced above the central opening 21. The window 22 may be of arcuate configuration, if desired, having its center of curvature coincident with the center of circular opening 21.

The back wall 18 may be formed with a thru opening 23, which in the illustrated embodiment is of vertically elongate configuration, see FIGURE 4, and in the assembly is in vertical alignment with and spaced below the front-wall opening or window 22, see FIGURE 2.

Interposed in sandwiched relation between the front and back walls or sheets 17 and 18 is a spaced sheet or card 25, having its opposite faces respectively adhesively secured to the front and back sheets. The spacer sheet, best seen in FIGURE 6, is of an outline configuration generally similar to that of facing walls 17 and 18, having an elongate cutout or slot 26 located to open upwardly through the corner notches 19 and 20. Further, the spacer sheet or card 25 is formed with a central thru Opening or cutout 27 of generally circular configuration and substantially concentric with the front-wall opening 21. The diameter of the spacer opening 27 is some- What larger than that of the front-wall opening 21, as appears in FIGURES 2 and 3. The central opening 27 of spacer card 25 thus defines a generally circular or cylindrical chamber having a rear opening 23 through rear wall 18, and front openings 22 and 21 through front wall 17.

A circular or cylindrical carrier is generally designated 30 and conformably engaged within the opening or chamber 27, there being mounted between the front and back walls 17 and 18 for free axial rotation within the chamber. The carrier 31 includes a generally circular carrier sheet 31, see FIGURE 5, which may advantageously be fabricated of light-permeable thermoplastic sheet material and formed with a. plurality of upset portions or blisters 32, as by thermoforming. The blisters 32 may be arranged in a pair of concentric circular arrays, as illustrated, and configured for conforming reception of pills 33, each blister thus defining a pill pocket. With pills 33 in the blisters 0r pockets 32, a rupturable closure sheet 34, say of thermoplastic-coated aluminum foil is heat-sealed in adhesive facing engagement with the underside of the carrier sheet 31 extending in closing relation with all of the pockets 32.

An exhibit member or card 35 of generally circularoutline configuration is provided with a plurality of thru apertures or holes 36 for conforming reception of pill pockets 32 with the exhibit card resting on the flat surface of carrier sheet 31.

This carrier assembly 3% of carrier sheet 31 having adhesively secured to the back surface thereof the rupturable closure sheet 34, and provided on the front surface thereof with exhibit card 35, is arranged in the chamber 27 between front and back walls 17 and 18 with the pockets 32 projecting forwardly through the frontwall opening 21 and having their concave sides facing rearwardly toward back wall 18. The peripheral margin or exhibit part 37 of card 35 extends radially beyond the window 22, for exposing successive portions of the display part upon rotation of the carrier 30. The exposed, forwardly facing surface of display part 37 is advantageously of a readily markable material, such as cardboard or paper, for a purpose: appearing presently.

The assembled carrier 30 is constrained to circular or rotative movement by its conforming engagement in the chamber 27, and by engagement of the forwardly proiecting pill pockets 32 with the bounding edge of frontwall opening 21. The rear-wall opening or outlet 23 is 3 located along the circular path of movement of pill pockets 32, see FIGURE 4. Hence, upon local rupture of closure sheet 34, as in FIGURE 6, the pill 33 in proximate pocket 32 is free to pass rearward from the pocket through outlet opening 23 of the back wall 18.

While the carrier 30 is freely, slidably rotatably mounted between the facing spaced walls 17 and 18, as by manual turning of the carrier from the front side thereof, inherent friction is sufiicient to retain the carrier in any selected position of its rotative movement. The slot or cutout 26 of spacer sheet 25 serves to define a pocket for receiving a marking instrument or pencil 40, which may be quickly and easily removed from and replaced in the pocket. The pencil 40 is thus conveniently retained for use in marking portions of exhibit part 37 exposed through window 22. In addition, the exhibit card 35 may be provided with markings corresponding to pill pockets 32, say numerical markings as shown in FIG- URE 1. In the instant embodiment there is shown a package suitable for use with contraceptive pills, wherein a single pill must be taken each day for twenty days, commencing at certain day after the menstrual period. With pill pocket No. 1 located proximate to the window 22, the user may write the beginning day on the exposed portion of exhibit part 37 through the window 22. The pill from proximate pocket No. 1 may then be removed through outlet opening 23 and consumed on the proper day. If desired, successive portions of exhibit part 37 may all be marked with the proper day or date prior to use, or, each marked as required. After each use, the carrier 30 may be rotated to expose the next period for taking of a pill through the Window 22 and place the successive pill pocket 32 proximate to the window In this way, the user is reminded of the next required period for pill consumption, and a pill is located for removal from the package. Of course, the pills may be of different types, and any required periods for consumption may be employed with the instant device.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention provides a reminder-dispenser device for pills and the like, which fully accomplishes its intended objects, is well adapted to meet practical conditions of manufacture, distribution and use.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A reminder-dispenser device for pills and the like, said device comprising a pair of facing walls, securing means securing said walls together in spaced relation, a generally circular pill carrier interposed in the space between said walls and supported therein for rotative movement, a plurality of pill pockets arranged in circular array on said carrier for rotation therewith and facing toward one of said walls, said one wall being provided with an outlet opening located along the path of pocket movement for passing pills from said pockets through said one wall, an exhibit part carried by said carrier for movement therewith and underlying a wall of said pair of walls, and a window in a wall of said pair of walls exposing an underlying portion of said exhibit part, said exhibit part being markable for indicating the pill-consumption period corresponding to the pill pocket proximate to said outlet opening, said carrier comprising a generally flat carrier sheet, said carrier sheet being formed with blisters projecting from one face of said carrier sheet and defining said pockets, and said exhibit part comprising a card in facing engage-ment with said one face of said carrier sheet and 'apertured to receive and extending radially outward beyond said blisters.

2. A reminder-dispenser device for pills and the like according to claim 1, said window being located in the other of said pair of walls along the path of exhibit-card movement radially outward of said blisters, the margin of said exhibit card having successive portions exposed through said window upon carrier rotation, said exhibit card being markable through said window to indicate the period of pill consumption.

References (:ited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 520,095 5/1894 Turney 221-4 X 2,474,639 6/1949 Shprentz 206-42 2,660,983 12/1953 Lanning 206-42 X 2,971,638 2/1961 Allison et al 206-42 3,025,952 3/1962 Phipps 206-42 3,085,679 4/1963 Burrell 206-42 3,143,207 10/1964 Wagner 206-42 3,182,789 5/1965 Sparks 206-42 3,199,489 10/1965 Ruoss et al 206-42 X OTHER REFERENCES German printed application 1,004,772, Gresvasch, Mar. 21, 1957.

ROBERT E. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

KENNETH N. LEIMER, Examiner. 

1. A REMINDER-DISPENSER DEVICE FOR PILLS AND THE LIKE, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A PAIR OF FACING WALLS, SECURING MEANS SECURING SAID WALLS TOGETHER IN SPACED RELATION, A GENERALLY CIRCULAR PILL CARRIER INTERPOSED IN THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID WALLS AND SUPPORTED THEREIN FOR ROTATIVE MOVEMENT, A PLURALITY OF PILL POCKETS ARRANGED IN CIRCULAR ARRAY ON SAID CARRIER FOR ROTATION THEREWITH AND FACING TOWARD ONE OF SAID WALLS, SAID ONE WALL BEING PROVIDED WITH AN OUTLET OPENING LOCATED ALONG THE PATH OF POCKET MOVEMENT FOR PASSING PILLS FROM SAID POCKETS THROUGH SAID ONE WALL, AN EXHIBIT PART CARRIED BY SAID CARRIER FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH AND UNDERLYING A WALL OF SAID PAIR OF WALLS, AND A WINDOW IN A WALL OF SAID PAIR OF WALLS EXPOSING AN UNDERLYING PORTION OF SAID EXHIBIT PART, SAID EXHIBIT PART BEING MARKABLE FOR INDICATING THE PILL-CONSUMPTION PERIOD CORRESPONDING TO THE PILL POCKET PROXIMATE TO SAID OUTLET OPENING, SAID CARRIER COMPRISING A GENERALLY FLAT CARRIER SHEET, SAID CARRIER SHEET BEING FORMED WITH BLISTERS PROJECTING FROM ONE FACE OF SAID CARRIER SHEET AND DEFINING SAID POCKETS, AND SAID EXHIBIT PART COMPRISING A CARD IN FACING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ONE FACE OF SAID CARRIER SHEET AND APERTURED TO RECEIVE AND EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARD BEYOND SAID BLISTERS. 